8 of the 80s: 3/14/13 (1980)...

It's time for this week's voyage back to the 80's and this time I'm back to 1980, the year John Lennon was murdered in New York.

Lipps Inc - "Funkytown"
from the album Mouth To Mouth (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1

The 80s began with the release of this burst of cheesy goodness that was the answer to all the disco-bashers out there.

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Kenny Loggins - "I'm Alright"
from the album Caddyshack (Original Soundtrack) (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #7

Pay attention to the magistrate, indeed. The best soundtrack song of a year of amazing soundtracks, from the classic goofy movie all screwball movies aspire to.

Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra - "Xanadu"
from the album Xanadu (Original Soundtrack) (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8

Wait. I take that back. This wins. Hands down. Oh, my twelve-year-old heart jumped for this movie, and the song.

 Irene Cara - "Out Here On My Own"
from the album Fame (Original Soundtrack) (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #19

I'm telling you, 1980 was soundtrack gold. I'll take this over "Fame" or "Flashdance" any day.

Waylon Jennings - "Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)"
from the album Music Man (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #21

Television had its share of nuggets as well, including this theme to everybody's favorite hillbilly hunks.

The James Last Band - "The Seduction (Love Theme)"
from the album American Gigolo (Original Soundtrack) (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #28

The instrumental from the wildly popular movie that got me to see Richard Gere naked on the cable had its instrumental theme reach the top-40, one of the last to do so. Last, a German composer who was 52 when this arrived, benefited from disco helmsman Giorgio Moroder, who wrote the track.

Change - "A Lover's Holiday" 
from the album The Glow Of Love (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #40

Europeans Jacques Petrus and Mauro Malavasi loved the music of disco so much they did their own Euro-Chic with American singers that would eventually include Luther Vandross for a while (but not here)...

Suzi Quatro - "She's In Love With You"
from the album Suzi...and Other Four Letter Words (1979)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #41

I was enamored with "Leather Tuscadero" on Happy Days, and she really needs her due for paving the way for rockin' lead solo women in rock.

That's it for this week's 80s post, I'll be back tomorrow with another Song of the Day, Candletime, and my top-100 tunes from the week. Have an awesome night!